Today I stopped by a new Dinner My Way franchise. It seems these do-it-yourself dinner shops are popping up all over. Entrepreneur magazine named these franchises, such as Dinner My Way, Dinner by Design, and Dream Dinners, one of the fastest-growing food trends. So I wanted to see what all the fuss was about, and to see if this is something I want to participate in.
I’d like your comments if you’ve tried on of these places. Which one did you go to? Was the food good? Is it economical? Will you return?
The helpful lady behind the reception desk gave me a brochure and explained that the menus change every month. You sign up for a reserved time online, choose your dishes, and then show up. She gave me menus April and May, which had 16 choices each, including one dessert. Each dinner is supposed to feed 4 – 6 people.
Prices for the dinners range from $15.00 (Hippity Hoppity Ham Frittata – thankfully, none of the other dishes have a stupid name like this one) and $22.50 (Scallops with bacon and chives). Most hover around the $20.00 mark. At first, this seemed a little pricey, but then I started to add up ingredients that I would need to makes theses dishes myself, and they actually started to seem like a bargain. As long as some nights are still spaghetti or leftover nights at home, they could fit my budget, depending on how many they actually feed. I have ravenous teenagers, so they might not stretch as far as they say.
So I’m signing up, provided I can make room in my freezer, and I’ll let you know how it goes. The ladies who worked at the Dinner My Way that I stopped at were whooping it up in the back, laughing and having a good ol’ time, so either it’s really, really fun, or they’re laughing all the way to the bank.